It takes a village...

... to raise a child. I know this is cliche, but the older the kids get the more I realize it. And this is why - you can't keep your kids to yourself for very long. From the minute they're born they're being held, talked to, influenced by the rest of the world. And I've been telling David for a long time now that we need another parent in our family, because two parents just isn't enough sometimes to cover all the bases. What a challenge. But, there's nothing quite like the thrill that comes from success. When mountain climbers finally reach the top and look out around them, they see the fruits of all their hard work and training to reach the highest peak. As a parent, those moments come occassionally, but mostly we have to measure our successes by the little peaks that we come to along the way. Like hearing my son say please and thank you without being prompted. Or seeing Shelly growing, learning to use her hands better, smiling at me when I talk to her.

It really does take a village, because the parents aren't the only ones teaching kids the lessons. Babysitters aren't just babysitters, they're teachers. And grandparents, and aunts and uncles, and cousins and neighbors... Whether or not all of these people realize it, they're teaching lessons. It might be a lesson that if you don't want your cousin to have it you hide it before they come over, or that you can get away with more when you're with one grandparent vs another, or that you're always going to find cookies in a certain place. Some good lessons, some bad, some just lessons on how life is. And so, even if we don't want to admit it, we're all part of the village and we're all raising each others' children.